2 Mandera police officers injured in border shooting

 

Two police officers are nursing gunshot wounds at Mandera County Referral Hospital following an attack by unknown people.

They were in a group of officers deployed to guard one of the many entry and exit points along the Kenya-Somalia border.

Reached for a comment on the incident, Mandera County Police Commander Edwin Seda said, “We are in the process of finding out what happened. I cannot give a conclusive report at the moment.”

It emerged, however, that the officers had differed with some traders on the entry of goods from Somali’s Bula Hawa town.

“These officers had an argument with some men who were entering Kenya with some goods. The two men turned to go back. Immediately after, we heard gunshots with everyone scampering for safety,” a taxi operator who was at the scene said.

A third officer dislocated her left ankle in the melee.

“The shots came from the Somalia side of the border. I did not see the shooters,” said the taxi driver who requested anonymity.

Bribery claims

Asked about allegations of bribery along the border for the entry of contraband goods, the police boss said investigations would establish the truth.

“We are carrying out research that will help us understand everything. At the moment I cannot tell what exactly we shall be doing,” said Mr Seda.

Mr Hassan Ali, a businessman in Mandera, blamed police officers for the incident.

“We spend a lot of money at the border just to get goods into our shops. The officers manning the border collect money from our transporters while other officers follow us to our shops for more money,” he said.

According to Mr Ali, suppliers from the Somalia side could be behind the incident due to claims that police officers regularly harass them at the border.

Illegal entry

The official border crossing point in Mandera town remains idle with residents of both sides preferring to use the many illegal points for movement.

Meanwhile, officers of the Somalia National Army (SNA) have taken control of Bula Hawa town after ousting Jubbaland security agencies.

The fighting spilled over into Mandera and affected people including traders.

Mr Ali said, “This is not about the feud between Kenya and Somalia that has played out recently. It is about business deals between the two towns.”

At the county hospital, Mandera’s Health executive Mohamud Adan said the two officers were shot in the legs.

“One of the officers is in the theatre. He has a fracture in the lower part of his leg,” he said.